OOC: Ryazusith's Inspiration
So here it finally is!
Congratulations on impressing a dragon here at Ista Weyr! We hope that she is everything that you could want in a lifemate, though this inspiration is just a guideline for how to play your dragon. You are not required to follow all or any of it. Ryazusith is /yours/. Members of SearchCo have put many hours into the creation of your dragon, and we are excited to see how you develop the personality in your own, unique way. - Nya, Sapha & B’au
Dragon: Ryazusith
Color: Gold
Name: Sapha, D’baji
Egg: Grasshopper Egg
Egg Desc: Eshe
Dragonet: Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet
Dragonet Desc: Nya
Messages: Nya, Sapha
Inspiration: Sapha, Nya, Corona & B’au
Clutching Message:
Kwazarenth croons softly as the rapid-fire tremors along her side increase with the latest onset of a contraction. After several long moments nothing happens and Kwazarenth's head drops down with exhaustion. Another second passes before the contractions start anew, this time to be rewarded with the depositing of a rather fat Grasshopper Egg upon a depression not quite wide enough to hold it. The egg tips slightly to the side, righted only as Kwazarenth noses it into place before covering it from sight.
Grasshopper Egg
Creamy pale green swirls around the shell of this small, fat egg. Mixed into the jade of the base color is even paler milky whiteness and a few dark streaks of bright emerald green. At the very apex of the egg it seems crusted, the color is the same pale green, but the texture is as though sand or salt had been sprinkled on the egg, making it look and feel rough to the touch. The egg is very hard, and may hatch any time now.
Hatching Message:
Grasshopper Egg, being the fat little critter it is, doesn’t do anything /too/ severe. It jitters, even shivers a little, and eventually tumbles onto its side, because that’s where gravity wants it to be. Cracks form at the apex as if the occupant inside is batting it’s head in that particular spot, causing the minty green shell to fragment ever so barely, a latticework of cracks chasing down the sides of the jade casing. Then, looking quite contrary as she breaks through from the shell and lands on her rear end, Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet signals her arrival with a coquettish trill.
Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet
Tawdry gold gilds the angular, long features of this queen; marigold facets awoken into bloom like a clandestine garden from a somber winter. The sharp lines of her muzzle and the blunt curve of her doe eyes give her a somewhat stern façade, with the gaudy gold of her hide taught against her cheekbones and jawline, while brassy lowlights and lapis lazuli highlights bleed down the curve of her neck, across her shoulders and over her wings in brazen chiaroscuro. Those gauzy sails are the only part of her that escapes the awkwardness of her disproportion, just balancing the slight roundness to her paler underbelly and long limbs. Buttermilk spills over the boxyness of her rear and over her thin tail in darkening shades of caramel and blonde, then wilts to bronze like a flower caught in the grasp of autumn.
Impression Message:
Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet, as if startled by some unseen gust of wind, edges curiously towards a group of candidates on the outer edge of the conclave, pushing past the masses of candidates with her nose, fumbling past the ivy and the weeds towards someone that caught her eye; the bounce of dark curls, the glow of warm skin. Moving faster now, randomly turning this way and that but definitely towards the outer edge, Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet hurries to the girl she has seen, tumbling in front of her and gently nudging her round midsection with her nose. My Minka.
Private Impression Message:
<< I've stolen a person. >> The sweetest, most mysterious voice enters your mind like soft English rain. << It wasn’t mine. It wasn’t anybody's. Nobody wanted it, nobody cared for it. >> The sad wistful browns of a neglected garden color your conscience, before blooming into a brilliant blood red; the intoxicating scents of crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils filling your mind. << The person I stole is you, Minka. >> The maidenly voice giggles, entangling your soul with ivy-like tendrils. << I can be your Ryazusith if you like? >>
Inspirations
In most aspects (except the name, we went out on a fun whim for that one ;) we were inspired by two people for Ryasuzith; Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett, circa 1900 (see http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BurSecr.html )] and Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (or, more specifically, the case of Opheliana, read on ;) [see http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/opheliachar.html and http://members.cox.net/academia/ophelia.html]. Why? Mostly because we believed that they could merge your twin wants of insanity and old European in the best way possible :D
Name Inspiration:
Ryazusith. For a made-up name it looks as though it should mean something, perhaps crazy in Japanese or some such, but it doesn’t! It’s completely random, and oh-so-fun to say. Originally I was batting around something like Islazulith (Cos you said Lapis Lazuli a lot) But it wasn’t nearly good enough, so D’baji and I bashed it around some, eventually evolving Ryazusith. I’ve been saying it Ri-YAZU-sith or even RAZ-zoo-sith and Nya’s been saying 'Rye (as in rye-bread)-ahhh-ZU-sith', but because it’s made up you can say it however you like! You decide there are just too many fun ways to say your baby's name! I just really really like saying Yazu. Yazu, yazu, yazu….:D
Egg Inspiration:
Inspired by Grasshopper drink, which is my favorite. It tastes somewhat like After Eight mint chocolates (depending on who makes it) and has a wonderful jade-like color.
Grasshopper drinks have many different recipes, but the one that I use is 2 parts green creme de menthe, 2 parts vodka and 2 parts low fat milk. Shaken, not stirred and add ice cubes and to clinch it, crust the rim with salt.
Description Inspiration:
We took your request for a longer and generally more angular looking queen, as well as your wish for a paler gold with lapis lazuli highlights, and kind of came out with this awkward young queen, Ryasuzith. I hope that she’s what you imagined her, though I felt that the darker colorings of her dam Kwazarenth should be incorporated and hence I came out with this beautiful bright, gaudy gold color, imbued with your lapis lazuli highlights and a paler, blonder underside. Sapha had the brilliant idea to incorporate chiaroscuro into the description, an artistic technique of contrasting shadow and light, and this is done between brassy gold and your lapis lazuli; a truly beautiful contrast of color. And, of course, she’s very much inspired by untamed nature, the beauty of things that aren’t quite picturesquely perfect, as in Mary’s Secret Garden.
Mind Voice:
Ryazusith has a very gentle voice, it has that high clear purity of tone that only the very innocent have. It’s breathy, and quite possibly the sweetest most mysterious thing you’ll /ever/ hear in your lifetime. Her accent borders on prim, but carries the exotic hint of ‘somewhere else’ that evolves and weaves her thoughts into a rich tapestry, without the help of the other elements of her thought.
You’d think it would be pretty easy to tell her mood by the colors of her thought. She ranges from deep velvety black, to the browns to dead foliage before bursting with an explosion of random color. She’ll assign meaning to her colors, but they’ll change as she develops, sometimes black is a good color, sometimes it’s foreboding, she’ll like to keep it unpredictable.
Her scents are predominately floral, crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils and roses all feature heavily in her thought. But again she is anything but predictable, there is a faint tone of wildness to her. Sometimes she’ll smell like mulch, of warm vegetation happily rotting. Even more sinister is when she’s particularly troubled, for then, she’ll carry the miasma of a cemetery, an old dilapidated one at that.
Physicalities:
"My word! she's a plain little piece of goods!" she said. "And we'd heard that her mother was a beauty. She hasn't handed much of it down, has she, ma'am?"
"Perhaps she will improve as she grows older," the officer's wife said good-naturedly. "If she were not so sallow and had a nicer expression, her features are rather good. Children alter so much." - The Secret Garden
And indeed, Rya will become a sight as she grows; she’ll lengthen out and be one of the longest queens at Ista, still a little unbalanced here and there, but generally a svelte and narrow queen. This will make her one of the more maneuverable queens, faster and more agile, though she is still gold and will never have the grace, speed or general aerobic capacity that any other color has.
Her coloring is quite bright and distinguishing a proddy-Ryazusith from her normal self will be tough considering she’s practically a walking glowstick. Think full-on 24 carat, the kind of gold not found in jewelers but in the very crust of the earth, that gaudy, brilliant yellow.
As she grows, she’ll get itchy pretty much everywhere, and even worse in the places she can’t reach very well, and hence you’ll be required to help her out in these uncomfortable situations.
<< Minka, MINkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa it /itches/ get RID OF IT NOW! Aieeeeeee! >>
Minka, let’s be frank - you and that oiling pot are gonna become mighty friendly.
Despite this, she loves getting her talons dirty, but that’s okay because she also likes taking cold baths. The colder the better, but that’s alright, that’s what Minka’s extra insulation is for, right?
Personality:
“Opheliana” - being the whimsical speeches and the botanical and musical accoutrements that people who haven’t known any real mad people think madwomen ought to have
Margaret Atwood, (http://www.web.net/owtoad/ophelia.html)
Minka, your dragon suffers from Opheliana. It's sad, it's incurable, but it's the truth. In the words of Margaret Atwood, Ryazusith is winsomely bonkers, and incredibly loveable. Too many dragons are brash and obnoxious, but not Ryazusith. She lingers melancholic with much sighing and heaving of her bosom. Even when she's utterly happy, there's still something about the things that bring her such joy that will cause her to waiver and sway between confliction emotions: happy and sad, melancholy and jovial, ecstatic and depressed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAERTES
A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V
Always will Ryazusith be a bundle of confusion to others, due to her 'mad' nature and the strange quirks that can overreach the bounds of even the most open-minded dragons and riders. To Ryazusith, this is nothing; unimportant; unnoticed. They will think her insane, but she will always be who she is.
During those occasional times when she is not absorbed within her own mind, though, Ryazusith is often scared, uncomfortable and self-conscious. While lucid, everything seems to scare her, being so unusual and different. Because of this fright, she will often come across as arrogant, even haughty, while trying simply to overcome her near-paralyzing fear. She will be overly stubborn, making decisions quickly just to have it done, then forcing others to abide and agree, even if it is the worst of choices.
For the first of her possibly endless number of quirks, we must tell you: your little lady likes flowers. Be prepared to have a veritable secret garden growing within your weyr, and certainly crowding your sunny ledge.
Flowers a sign of whimsy and innocence often seen only in young children, which is a sure to be the start of Ryazusith's love of them. From the first time her eyes lay sight on them, she will be delighted by the beauty, the colors, the texture and the delicacy. Don't be surprised if she asks you for a wreath for her head or neck that first day. Before long, Ryazusith will be absolutely swept away with the idea of flowers. Detours to see them in bloom, flower picking trips and bouquets in water are likely to be seemingly innocuous start.
Eventually, Ryazusith's interest in flowers will make her more demanding about them, culminating in a weyr of potted plants. Since the days of Shakespeare's Hamlet, flowers have long been associated with insanity, which will prove correct with Ryazusith's obsession. She will forever request that you spend exorbitant amounts of time tending to them for her. Often, you will find her staring sadly at the flowers, complaining downheartedly that her talons are simply too dangerous to their beauty for her to do it herself, even as she enjoys the wonder of them.
Poetry will also prove to be a great point of pleasure for Ryazusith, almost from before the shell falls away. Often times, the poems she spouts will be either non-sensical, but childishly happy, or in woefully bad taste, accompanied by an almost disturbingly high-pitched sound of maniacal laughter.
Though she often times has very poor timing with her mind-comments, such as during an important meeting, or needing to wake you up while you sleep, Ryazusith's chattering will become commonplace in your thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QUEEN GERTRUDE
How now, Ophelia!
OPHELIA
[Sings]
How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song?
OPHELIA
Say you? Nay, pray you, mark.
[Sings.]
He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass-green turf,
At his heels a stone.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In addition to her inane ramblings, Ryazusith is also a great connoisseur of music, delighting in the beautiful sounds coming from such small instruments. Certainly, she adores that one of her favorite things, poetry, can be combined with another such delightful thing, sound. Any form of musical sound, from a whistling resident to the best of the best Harpers will draw her immediate attention. Fortunately, very few riders sing while fighting Thread, else she might just unintentionally veer and slam into her fellow while trying to get closer to listen.
As much as Ryazusith loves the sounds of a Harper's pipes or guitar, she will spend an extraordinary amount of time sighing miserably during the performance, wishing that she were small enough to make such magic herself. While you may be enjoying a dance with some holder, Ryazusith's utter sadness over the minute size of the instruments will be portrayed forcefully into your thoughts, informing you of her change between pleasure and melancholia. This will happen often and inconsistently, varying over and over again between happy and sad.
When it comes to something Ryazusith really adores, her mental voice can be incredibly insistent, often pressuring you to do something you have no interest in. She will beg you to recite a poem and tell you that you /must/ be able to do something musical. She will drag you across Pern and back, looking for just the right flower to add to her secret garden.
The times when Ryazusith doesn't know what she wants will possibly be even more difficult for you, though. She will spend hours, days even, deliberating on the options before making her decisions. She will keep you both awake all night while she attempts to choose, unwilling to choose one way or another. Her mind voice will be a mess of thoughts, the most prominent being a sing-songy "Maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not." In fact, on those nights when you do manage to sleep through her indecisiveness, your dreams will likely be filled with wild, absurd scenes, things that seem to have no obvious correlation to what Ryazusith is trying to decide about.
When Ryazusith does finally make a decision, she will boldly stick to her choice. Having made her pronouncement, she knows that this is the best possible option, but only if she is lost in her inner mind. While barmy, Ryazusith is all confidence in herself and her actions, but while sane, she will be forced to pretend a similar degree of self-confidence, if only to save face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAERTES
Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears: but yet
It is our trick; nature her custom holds,
Let shame say what it will: when these are gone,
The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord:
I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze,
But that this folly doubts it.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene VII
One of the rare occasions when Ryazusith has a firm, sane belief is water. If your dragon is having a clearer day (or candlemark) she will object strenuously to her preferred bathing water temperature. She will not bathe in cold water, it must be moderately warm for her to even touch a talon to it.
During the more whimsical days, Ryazusith will only bathe in ice-cool water. You will surely learn to freeze, Minka, while Ryazusith lounges and splashed about happily in the chilly temperatures. Where once freezing baths were given to institutionalized patients as a "cure" for their madness, Ryazusith simply delights in her freezing bath, spending as long as you will allow her to, impervious to the unfortunate temperature. Cold baths are, in fact, a way to bring Ryazusith's happiness level up, though they are far from a cure to her insanity. Likely, one of you will catch your deaths from this water one day. Fortunately for you, Ryazusith is more than amenable to swimming in warm water. As long as there is no cleaning involved, she will gladly submerse herself anywhere, any time.
Barring these very particular quirks, Ryazusith is also insatiably curious. She's a child's mentality when it comes to things she doesn't know about, especially if she can see the object in question. Oftentimes, the object of her attention will never have any idea what is happening once she decides to explore it. Touch, taste, smell, all senses are game here. She'll be as an infant, you'll forever be telling her to "Get that out of your mouth!"
Flights:
Hamlet:
I did love you once.
Ophelia:
Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
Hamlet:
You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.
Ophelia:
I was the more deceived.
Hamlet, Act III, Sc. 1
A proddy Ryazusith is a gullible Ryazusith. She becomes a little more erratic when she starts to glow, partly because of all those hormones flooding her system, and mostly because of all the attention she receives from those bronze and brown dragons. She luxuriates in the attention, giggling girlishly, and fluttering her non-existent eyelashes. She’s all girl, and then when she bloods and takes to the skies she’s all woman!
And afterward? Let me borrow another Shakespearean quote. “Hell hath no fury…”. She believes every single one of the pre-flight promises, the more outrageous the more she believes. And just because she didn’t select the dragon in question doesn’t mean he can go off and skulk, he has obligations to her! This is another area where she will become manipulative, using her Opheliana to guilt trip all participants in her flight to assist her in her confinement.
"It's a secret garden, and I'm the only one in the world who wants it to be alive."
Mary, The Secret Garden.
When it comes time for Ryazusith to sit upon the sands, she doesn’t get any less peculiar. But she does display an amazing patience. Her eggs become her garden, her secret. Unlike most golds she’ll believe she’s able to commune with her offspring right from the beginning.
<< I’d better turn that orange egg, he’s complaining, one side is roasted, and the other is covered in hoarfrost. >>
She’ll want to be on the sands, tending to the eggs, crooning tunelessly as she putters about, digging more trenches, or rotating eggs. These activities will bring her a kind of peace, it is at this stage in her life when she becomes most adorable (Well after first-hatched weyrlinghood at least). Woe if you must share the sands with another queen pair, while you Minky might understand that sharing is necessary, Ryazausith may never grasp the concept of playing nicely with others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Minka and gold Ryazusith
Harper's Tale: 41st PC Clutch
Ista Weyr
Iri’s Gold Kwazarenth and B’ane’s Bronze Aboleoth
29 April 2005
Clutchmates:
Rylen and bronze Azmaioth, Ulric and brown Khonsath, Deaglan and blue Nokith, Asliah and green Safuriketh, Lynzi and green Izlasth
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Congratulations on impressing a dragon here at Ista Weyr! We hope that she is everything that you could want in a lifemate, though this inspiration is just a guideline for how to play your dragon. You are not required to follow all or any of it. Ryazusith is /yours/. Members of SearchCo have put many hours into the creation of your dragon, and we are excited to see how you develop the personality in your own, unique way. - Nya, Sapha & B’au
Dragon: Ryazusith
Color: Gold
Name: Sapha, D’baji
Egg: Grasshopper Egg
Egg Desc: Eshe
Dragonet: Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet
Dragonet Desc: Nya
Messages: Nya, Sapha
Inspiration: Sapha, Nya, Corona & B’au
Clutching Message:
Kwazarenth croons softly as the rapid-fire tremors along her side increase with the latest onset of a contraction. After several long moments nothing happens and Kwazarenth's head drops down with exhaustion. Another second passes before the contractions start anew, this time to be rewarded with the depositing of a rather fat Grasshopper Egg upon a depression not quite wide enough to hold it. The egg tips slightly to the side, righted only as Kwazarenth noses it into place before covering it from sight.
Grasshopper Egg
Creamy pale green swirls around the shell of this small, fat egg. Mixed into the jade of the base color is even paler milky whiteness and a few dark streaks of bright emerald green. At the very apex of the egg it seems crusted, the color is the same pale green, but the texture is as though sand or salt had been sprinkled on the egg, making it look and feel rough to the touch. The egg is very hard, and may hatch any time now.
Hatching Message:
Grasshopper Egg, being the fat little critter it is, doesn’t do anything /too/ severe. It jitters, even shivers a little, and eventually tumbles onto its side, because that’s where gravity wants it to be. Cracks form at the apex as if the occupant inside is batting it’s head in that particular spot, causing the minty green shell to fragment ever so barely, a latticework of cracks chasing down the sides of the jade casing. Then, looking quite contrary as she breaks through from the shell and lands on her rear end, Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet signals her arrival with a coquettish trill.
Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet
Tawdry gold gilds the angular, long features of this queen; marigold facets awoken into bloom like a clandestine garden from a somber winter. The sharp lines of her muzzle and the blunt curve of her doe eyes give her a somewhat stern façade, with the gaudy gold of her hide taught against her cheekbones and jawline, while brassy lowlights and lapis lazuli highlights bleed down the curve of her neck, across her shoulders and over her wings in brazen chiaroscuro. Those gauzy sails are the only part of her that escapes the awkwardness of her disproportion, just balancing the slight roundness to her paler underbelly and long limbs. Buttermilk spills over the boxyness of her rear and over her thin tail in darkening shades of caramel and blonde, then wilts to bronze like a flower caught in the grasp of autumn.
Impression Message:
Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet, as if startled by some unseen gust of wind, edges curiously towards a group of candidates on the outer edge of the conclave, pushing past the masses of candidates with her nose, fumbling past the ivy and the weeds towards someone that caught her eye; the bounce of dark curls, the glow of warm skin. Moving faster now, randomly turning this way and that but definitely towards the outer edge, Silver Bells and Cockle Shells Gold Dragonet hurries to the girl she has seen, tumbling in front of her and gently nudging her round midsection with her nose. My Minka.
Private Impression Message:
<< I've stolen a person. >> The sweetest, most mysterious voice enters your mind like soft English rain. << It wasn’t mine. It wasn’t anybody's. Nobody wanted it, nobody cared for it. >> The sad wistful browns of a neglected garden color your conscience, before blooming into a brilliant blood red; the intoxicating scents of crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils filling your mind. << The person I stole is you, Minka. >> The maidenly voice giggles, entangling your soul with ivy-like tendrils. << I can be your Ryazusith if you like? >>
Inspirations
In most aspects (except the name, we went out on a fun whim for that one ;) we were inspired by two people for Ryasuzith; Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden [Frances Hodgson Burnett, circa 1900 (see http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BurSecr.html )] and Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (or, more specifically, the case of Opheliana, read on ;) [see http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/opheliachar.html and http://members.cox.net/academia/ophelia.html]. Why? Mostly because we believed that they could merge your twin wants of insanity and old European in the best way possible :D
Name Inspiration:
Ryazusith. For a made-up name it looks as though it should mean something, perhaps crazy in Japanese or some such, but it doesn’t! It’s completely random, and oh-so-fun to say. Originally I was batting around something like Islazulith (Cos you said Lapis Lazuli a lot) But it wasn’t nearly good enough, so D’baji and I bashed it around some, eventually evolving Ryazusith. I’ve been saying it Ri-YAZU-sith or even RAZ-zoo-sith and Nya’s been saying 'Rye (as in rye-bread)-ahhh-ZU-sith', but because it’s made up you can say it however you like! You decide there are just too many fun ways to say your baby's name! I just really really like saying Yazu. Yazu, yazu, yazu….:D
Egg Inspiration:
Inspired by Grasshopper drink, which is my favorite. It tastes somewhat like After Eight mint chocolates (depending on who makes it) and has a wonderful jade-like color.
Grasshopper drinks have many different recipes, but the one that I use is 2 parts green creme de menthe, 2 parts vodka and 2 parts low fat milk. Shaken, not stirred and add ice cubes and to clinch it, crust the rim with salt.
Description Inspiration:
We took your request for a longer and generally more angular looking queen, as well as your wish for a paler gold with lapis lazuli highlights, and kind of came out with this awkward young queen, Ryasuzith. I hope that she’s what you imagined her, though I felt that the darker colorings of her dam Kwazarenth should be incorporated and hence I came out with this beautiful bright, gaudy gold color, imbued with your lapis lazuli highlights and a paler, blonder underside. Sapha had the brilliant idea to incorporate chiaroscuro into the description, an artistic technique of contrasting shadow and light, and this is done between brassy gold and your lapis lazuli; a truly beautiful contrast of color. And, of course, she’s very much inspired by untamed nature, the beauty of things that aren’t quite picturesquely perfect, as in Mary’s Secret Garden.
Mind Voice:
Ryazusith has a very gentle voice, it has that high clear purity of tone that only the very innocent have. It’s breathy, and quite possibly the sweetest most mysterious thing you’ll /ever/ hear in your lifetime. Her accent borders on prim, but carries the exotic hint of ‘somewhere else’ that evolves and weaves her thoughts into a rich tapestry, without the help of the other elements of her thought.
You’d think it would be pretty easy to tell her mood by the colors of her thought. She ranges from deep velvety black, to the browns to dead foliage before bursting with an explosion of random color. She’ll assign meaning to her colors, but they’ll change as she develops, sometimes black is a good color, sometimes it’s foreboding, she’ll like to keep it unpredictable.
Her scents are predominately floral, crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils and roses all feature heavily in her thought. But again she is anything but predictable, there is a faint tone of wildness to her. Sometimes she’ll smell like mulch, of warm vegetation happily rotting. Even more sinister is when she’s particularly troubled, for then, she’ll carry the miasma of a cemetery, an old dilapidated one at that.
Physicalities:
"My word! she's a plain little piece of goods!" she said. "And we'd heard that her mother was a beauty. She hasn't handed much of it down, has she, ma'am?"
"Perhaps she will improve as she grows older," the officer's wife said good-naturedly. "If she were not so sallow and had a nicer expression, her features are rather good. Children alter so much." - The Secret Garden
And indeed, Rya will become a sight as she grows; she’ll lengthen out and be one of the longest queens at Ista, still a little unbalanced here and there, but generally a svelte and narrow queen. This will make her one of the more maneuverable queens, faster and more agile, though she is still gold and will never have the grace, speed or general aerobic capacity that any other color has.
Her coloring is quite bright and distinguishing a proddy-Ryazusith from her normal self will be tough considering she’s practically a walking glowstick. Think full-on 24 carat, the kind of gold not found in jewelers but in the very crust of the earth, that gaudy, brilliant yellow.
As she grows, she’ll get itchy pretty much everywhere, and even worse in the places she can’t reach very well, and hence you’ll be required to help her out in these uncomfortable situations.
<< Minka, MINkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa it /itches/ get RID OF IT NOW! Aieeeeeee! >>
Minka, let’s be frank - you and that oiling pot are gonna become mighty friendly.
Despite this, she loves getting her talons dirty, but that’s okay because she also likes taking cold baths. The colder the better, but that’s alright, that’s what Minka’s extra insulation is for, right?
Personality:
“Opheliana” - being the whimsical speeches and the botanical and musical accoutrements that people who haven’t known any real mad people think madwomen ought to have
Margaret Atwood, (http://www.web.net/owtoad/ophelia.html)
Minka, your dragon suffers from Opheliana. It's sad, it's incurable, but it's the truth. In the words of Margaret Atwood, Ryazusith is winsomely bonkers, and incredibly loveable. Too many dragons are brash and obnoxious, but not Ryazusith. She lingers melancholic with much sighing and heaving of her bosom. Even when she's utterly happy, there's still something about the things that bring her such joy that will cause her to waiver and sway between confliction emotions: happy and sad, melancholy and jovial, ecstatic and depressed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAERTES
A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V
Always will Ryazusith be a bundle of confusion to others, due to her 'mad' nature and the strange quirks that can overreach the bounds of even the most open-minded dragons and riders. To Ryazusith, this is nothing; unimportant; unnoticed. They will think her insane, but she will always be who she is.
During those occasional times when she is not absorbed within her own mind, though, Ryazusith is often scared, uncomfortable and self-conscious. While lucid, everything seems to scare her, being so unusual and different. Because of this fright, she will often come across as arrogant, even haughty, while trying simply to overcome her near-paralyzing fear. She will be overly stubborn, making decisions quickly just to have it done, then forcing others to abide and agree, even if it is the worst of choices.
For the first of her possibly endless number of quirks, we must tell you: your little lady likes flowers. Be prepared to have a veritable secret garden growing within your weyr, and certainly crowding your sunny ledge.
Flowers a sign of whimsy and innocence often seen only in young children, which is a sure to be the start of Ryazusith's love of them. From the first time her eyes lay sight on them, she will be delighted by the beauty, the colors, the texture and the delicacy. Don't be surprised if she asks you for a wreath for her head or neck that first day. Before long, Ryazusith will be absolutely swept away with the idea of flowers. Detours to see them in bloom, flower picking trips and bouquets in water are likely to be seemingly innocuous start.
Eventually, Ryazusith's interest in flowers will make her more demanding about them, culminating in a weyr of potted plants. Since the days of Shakespeare's Hamlet, flowers have long been associated with insanity, which will prove correct with Ryazusith's obsession. She will forever request that you spend exorbitant amounts of time tending to them for her. Often, you will find her staring sadly at the flowers, complaining downheartedly that her talons are simply too dangerous to their beauty for her to do it herself, even as she enjoys the wonder of them.
Poetry will also prove to be a great point of pleasure for Ryazusith, almost from before the shell falls away. Often times, the poems she spouts will be either non-sensical, but childishly happy, or in woefully bad taste, accompanied by an almost disturbingly high-pitched sound of maniacal laughter.
Though she often times has very poor timing with her mind-comments, such as during an important meeting, or needing to wake you up while you sleep, Ryazusith's chattering will become commonplace in your thoughts.
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QUEEN GERTRUDE
How now, Ophelia!
OPHELIA
[Sings]
How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song?
OPHELIA
Say you? Nay, pray you, mark.
[Sings.]
He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass-green turf,
At his heels a stone.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V
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In addition to her inane ramblings, Ryazusith is also a great connoisseur of music, delighting in the beautiful sounds coming from such small instruments. Certainly, she adores that one of her favorite things, poetry, can be combined with another such delightful thing, sound. Any form of musical sound, from a whistling resident to the best of the best Harpers will draw her immediate attention. Fortunately, very few riders sing while fighting Thread, else she might just unintentionally veer and slam into her fellow while trying to get closer to listen.
As much as Ryazusith loves the sounds of a Harper's pipes or guitar, she will spend an extraordinary amount of time sighing miserably during the performance, wishing that she were small enough to make such magic herself. While you may be enjoying a dance with some holder, Ryazusith's utter sadness over the minute size of the instruments will be portrayed forcefully into your thoughts, informing you of her change between pleasure and melancholia. This will happen often and inconsistently, varying over and over again between happy and sad.
When it comes to something Ryazusith really adores, her mental voice can be incredibly insistent, often pressuring you to do something you have no interest in. She will beg you to recite a poem and tell you that you /must/ be able to do something musical. She will drag you across Pern and back, looking for just the right flower to add to her secret garden.
The times when Ryazusith doesn't know what she wants will possibly be even more difficult for you, though. She will spend hours, days even, deliberating on the options before making her decisions. She will keep you both awake all night while she attempts to choose, unwilling to choose one way or another. Her mind voice will be a mess of thoughts, the most prominent being a sing-songy "Maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not." In fact, on those nights when you do manage to sleep through her indecisiveness, your dreams will likely be filled with wild, absurd scenes, things that seem to have no obvious correlation to what Ryazusith is trying to decide about.
When Ryazusith does finally make a decision, she will boldly stick to her choice. Having made her pronouncement, she knows that this is the best possible option, but only if she is lost in her inner mind. While barmy, Ryazusith is all confidence in herself and her actions, but while sane, she will be forced to pretend a similar degree of self-confidence, if only to save face.
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LAERTES
Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears: but yet
It is our trick; nature her custom holds,
Let shame say what it will: when these are gone,
The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord:
I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze,
But that this folly doubts it.
~Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene VII
One of the rare occasions when Ryazusith has a firm, sane belief is water. If your dragon is having a clearer day (or candlemark) she will object strenuously to her preferred bathing water temperature. She will not bathe in cold water, it must be moderately warm for her to even touch a talon to it.
During the more whimsical days, Ryazusith will only bathe in ice-cool water. You will surely learn to freeze, Minka, while Ryazusith lounges and splashed about happily in the chilly temperatures. Where once freezing baths were given to institutionalized patients as a "cure" for their madness, Ryazusith simply delights in her freezing bath, spending as long as you will allow her to, impervious to the unfortunate temperature. Cold baths are, in fact, a way to bring Ryazusith's happiness level up, though they are far from a cure to her insanity. Likely, one of you will catch your deaths from this water one day. Fortunately for you, Ryazusith is more than amenable to swimming in warm water. As long as there is no cleaning involved, she will gladly submerse herself anywhere, any time.
Barring these very particular quirks, Ryazusith is also insatiably curious. She's a child's mentality when it comes to things she doesn't know about, especially if she can see the object in question. Oftentimes, the object of her attention will never have any idea what is happening once she decides to explore it. Touch, taste, smell, all senses are game here. She'll be as an infant, you'll forever be telling her to "Get that out of your mouth!"
Flights:
Hamlet:
I did love you once.
Ophelia:
Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
Hamlet:
You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.
Ophelia:
I was the more deceived.
Hamlet, Act III, Sc. 1
A proddy Ryazusith is a gullible Ryazusith. She becomes a little more erratic when she starts to glow, partly because of all those hormones flooding her system, and mostly because of all the attention she receives from those bronze and brown dragons. She luxuriates in the attention, giggling girlishly, and fluttering her non-existent eyelashes. She’s all girl, and then when she bloods and takes to the skies she’s all woman!
And afterward? Let me borrow another Shakespearean quote. “Hell hath no fury…”. She believes every single one of the pre-flight promises, the more outrageous the more she believes. And just because she didn’t select the dragon in question doesn’t mean he can go off and skulk, he has obligations to her! This is another area where she will become manipulative, using her Opheliana to guilt trip all participants in her flight to assist her in her confinement.
"It's a secret garden, and I'm the only one in the world who wants it to be alive."
Mary, The Secret Garden.
When it comes time for Ryazusith to sit upon the sands, she doesn’t get any less peculiar. But she does display an amazing patience. Her eggs become her garden, her secret. Unlike most golds she’ll believe she’s able to commune with her offspring right from the beginning.
<< I’d better turn that orange egg, he’s complaining, one side is roasted, and the other is covered in hoarfrost. >>
She’ll want to be on the sands, tending to the eggs, crooning tunelessly as she putters about, digging more trenches, or rotating eggs. These activities will bring her a kind of peace, it is at this stage in her life when she becomes most adorable (Well after first-hatched weyrlinghood at least). Woe if you must share the sands with another queen pair, while you Minky might understand that sharing is necessary, Ryazausith may never grasp the concept of playing nicely with others.
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Minka and gold Ryazusith
Harper's Tale: 41st PC Clutch
Ista Weyr
Iri’s Gold Kwazarenth and B’ane’s Bronze Aboleoth
29 April 2005
Clutchmates:
Rylen and bronze Azmaioth, Ulric and brown Khonsath, Deaglan and blue Nokith, Asliah and green Safuriketh, Lynzi and green Izlasth
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